Seattle Bike Blog

I know it’s pretty hard to think about 2023 right now. Because a month lasts about a year right now, 2023 is more than 30 years away. But SDOT is currently conducting a survey about the planned MLK Way S … Continue reading →

The most marginalized people and communities in our society are especially stretched thin and put at increased risk during this outbreak. As unemployment soars, people without a safety net are in a very precarious position. And those with essential jobs … Continue reading →

Since we last wrote about the potential for open streets to reduce crowding on Seattle sidewalks and paths, the city has opened a couple streets within parks to people walking and biking in Seward Park and Volunteer Park. And Settle … Continue reading →

Bike share parking complaints can now be routed through the city’s Find It Fix It app and website as well as by calling 684-ROAD, SDOT’s work order hotline. Basically, reporting a bike share parking issue now goes through the same … Continue reading →

Work is still continuing on an improved I-90/Mountains to Sound Trail connection over Factoria Blvd SE in Bellevue. The project broke ground in the fall and is still aiming for completion in late 2020, according to project manager Chris Masek. … Continue reading →

Transcript (auto-generated .txt) It’s time for the Bike News Roundup. I started collecting the stories for this edition before the COVID-19 outbreak really took over the news and, you know, our whole lives. So there are glimpses of another time … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club is transforming its excellent Advocacy Leadership Institute into an online training course. So if you want to learn more about how to be a bike advocate, organize a campaign or tell your personal story, this could be … Continue reading →

To help people get around during the COVID-19 outbreak, Seattle’s only bike share company JUMP is offering free 30-minute rides to essential workers during the stay-at-home order (“at least”). Workplaces just need to email SeattleSupport@Jump.com to get ride codes they … Continue reading →

Transcript (auto-generated .txt) There is still no timeline for reopening the West Seattle high bridge, by far the most-traveled way to get across the Duwamish River and connect to the rest of the city. In the meantime, the lower Spokane … Continue reading →

Bike Works was among the first major bike organizations in Seattle to shut down operations amid the COVID-19 outbreak, doing so well before Governor Jay Inslee’s order requiring many businesses and education services to close. Staff have been working for … Continue reading →

King County Parks took an extraordinary step this week to close all its parks in an attempt to further discourage people from crowding or gathering as we fight the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. And unless you are … Continue reading →

Seattle this week closed parking lots at eight busy parks to discourage congregating and enforce social distancing. This was a wise move, as crowds were a bit too dense in many places, including Alki Beach, Seward Park, Green Lake and … Continue reading →

A man turning left from Northrup Way onto NE 8th Street struck and killed a 63-year-old man from Newcastle who was riding his bike just west of Lake Sammamish Sunday afternoon. Though the collision is still under investigation, the City … Continue reading →

Most people are required to stay inside under Washington State’s just-announced “stay home, stay healthy” order. Similar to the “shelter in place” orders in other cities and states, Jay Inslee announced further restrictions on activities and businesses that are allowed … Continue reading →

SDOT Director Sam Zimbabwe made an unexpected announcement Monday afternoon that the upper West Seattle Bridge will be closed starting at 7 p.m. due to concerns about cracking in the bridge structure. The lower swing bridge and its walking and … Continue reading →

Well, what should have been a happy day for transit hardly feels worth celebrating amid the pandemic. Work to connect the existing Sound Transit Link light rail tracks to the under-construction East Link tracks has wrapped up, and the downtown … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club moved Friday to furlough half its staff in what leaders describe as an effort to save the club, which is marking its 50-year anniversary this year. “We want to make sure it’s around for another 50 years,” … Continue reading →

Transcript (auto-generated .txt) When they had to cancel their regular social bike rides due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift Industries got creative. At first they laughed when Swift Founder Martina Brimmer suggested starting the Swift Social Distance Cycling Club. But … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club organizes community biking events, so the social distancing protocols make so many of their regular activities impossible right now. The organization already postponed their annual Bike Swap has been moved to June 14, the Bike Everywhere Breakfast … Continue reading →

So I have been working on a video for several days now about biking around Seattle amid the COVID-19 outbreak, but I keep changing my mind about what it should say. On one hand, I wanted to make something wildly … Continue reading →

You know, in an alternate timeline this would be a really big story. Sound Transit was not able to complete all the work needed to fully reopen downtown light rail service as was planned, so Connect 2020 continues. That means … Continue reading →

Just in time for a virus-news-escaping bike ride, WSDOT has opened a long-awaited biking and walking trail that crosses under SR-520 between the start of the 520 Bridge Trail and Lake Washington Boulevard. This is a “temporary” path, but you … Continue reading →

With the announcement that Seattle Public School will close for at least two weeks and gatherings of 250 people of more have been banned, our region has reached a new level in its social distancing efforts. Events venues have been … Continue reading →

Automated transcript (.txt) It’s the year 2020, and the world’s most famous bike race does not have a comparable event for women. That’s why women have biked the route of the Tour de France one day ahead of the men … Continue reading →

Don’t cut transit! There are so many reasons why cutting transit funding makes no sense. But instead of listing them all here, I want you all to think of them for yourselves. Then I want you to write those reasons … Continue reading →

.@WAbikes priority legislation, the #SafetyStop, has just passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 77-19! 🎉 We are just a few signatures away from people who 🚲 having the option to yield (when the coast is clear) … Continue reading →

Imagine a new trail connecting Tukwila and Seatac to Renton. This trail would tie together the Green River Trail, Interurban Trail, Cedar River Trail and Eastrail, all while accessing rapid transit service. And someday, it could even reach the airport, … Continue reading →

The Seattle Bike and Outdoor Show is the area’s largest bike industry expo. So if you want to check out the latest gear, test ride some bikes, this is your chance. The 2020 show is 9–6 Saturday and 9–4 Sunday … Continue reading →

One of the most insidious ways our transportation infrastructure is designed to delay or harm people walking is mostly invisible: Traffic signals programmed to skip the walk signal unless someone pushes a button. Whenever a traffic signal skips a walk … Continue reading →

The Cedar River Trail was washed out during recent heavy rains, and crews will be out working with heavy machinery to finish repairs and paving. So the trail will be closed for 4.5 miles from 154th Pl SE east to … Continue reading →

Led by former Councilmember Mike O’Brien, Seattle passed an ordinance last year that all but requires SDOT to build out the planned bike network as part of any major repaving projects along a planned route. And the ordinance faces its … Continue reading →

$1 now gets your a lifetime membership to the Bikery, part of an effort to expand participation in making decisions about the community bike organization. For example, your first act as a member could be to apply to join the … Continue reading →

Transcript (auto-generated .txt) The nationally-famous Marley Blonsky joined me to talk about a recent Washington Post story that featured her: “They call themselves ‘fat cyclists’ — and they want to get more people, of all sizes, on bikes.” We talk … Continue reading →

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is by Conor Courtney through our partnership with UW’s Community News Lab journalism course. Seattle cyclists can expect to see a substantial increase in the number of riders zipping around the city on pedal-assisted e-bikes in … Continue reading →

Nearly all Seattle elementary schoolers already go through the Let’s Go Bicycle and Pedstrian Safety program as part of their physical education. But now the program is expanding to include middle schools, as well. The course, offered by Cascade Bicycle … Continue reading →

Today is the final day for bills in the Washington State Legislature to pass out of at least one chamber in order to stay alive this short session. Any non-budget bill that hasn’t passed either the House or the Senate … Continue reading →

Washington is full of scenic places to bike, so it won’t be hard to identify a network of amazing routes to promote as part of the proposed Scenic Bikeways program that just passed the House 96-1. Oregon has long has … Continue reading →

Roxy Robles joined me to talk about the SPLAIN survey results we released Friday. So if you found that story interesting and want to know more about how and why Roxy conducted it, check out the video. It’s 36 minutes … Continue reading →

One Seattle shop was far and away the top-rated bike shop in the SPLAIN survey: Free Range Cycles. The shop in its iconic little building in Fremont received a 4.87 out of 5, and that was with 52 people weighing … Continue reading →

By Roxanne Robles and Tom Fucoloro Editor’s Note: Roxanne Robles conducted an online survey between September and December of 2019 asking people who identify as women, trans, femme or gender nonconforming to rate how comfortable they feel at 42 Seattle … Continue reading →

Sound Transit is resurfacing a stretch of the Eastrail between the South Kirkland Park and Ride and the intersection of 120th Ave NE and Spring Blvd in Bellevue. So anyone trying to get through will have to detour via Northrup … Continue reading →

This is great. Closing part of the second avenue protected bike lane doesn’t seem consistent with a safe connected all ages and abilities bike network in the city center, Vision Zero, or our climate goals. @MayorJenny @LewisforSeattle @CascadeBicycle @seattledot pic.twitter.com/1uO9dPksud … Continue reading →

(Video transcript) I am very excited to try out an all-new feature for the Bike News Roundup: Video commentary! I will still be posting links to news and other interesting stuff from around the region and around the world like … Continue reading →

We have more trail closure notices to add. The Cedar River Trail underpass at 154th Pl SE is full of water. Luckily, there is a street-level crosswalk that makes for what should be an easy detour. But we aware that … Continue reading →

Heavy and persistent rains have caused more trail closures in the area. The Sammamish River Trail has closed in four places between Woodinville and Redmond because its namesake river has overflowed. See the links in the notice below for maps … Continue reading →

It’s official, ground has been broken! It’s really happening. The Northgate bike/walk bridge between North Seattle College and Northgate Station is scheduled to open in fall 2021. It’s been a lot of work to get this thing designed and funded, … Continue reading →

A landslide has closed a section of the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail near Snoqualmie Ridge and Fall City, King County Parks said Thursday. The trail is closed between Preston-Fall City Road and Lake Alice Road. King County did not have an expected … Continue reading →

Sound Transit work on Mercer Island will close a section of the I-90 Trail starting Thursday and lasting through Saturday. And unfortunately, this stretch of N Mercer Way does not have bike lanes, so people biking will be directed to … Continue reading →

(Video transcript) Mayor Jenny Durkan has completely changed her tune about bike lanes since her first year in office. Well, that’s not entirely accurate because in her first year in office, she said very little about bike lanes at all. … Continue reading →

Mayor Jenny Durkan removed all doubt about what she thinks about Eastlake Ave bike lanes during a mid-day press event today. “Without prejudging what would come out of an EIS or what the lawyers would say, we need that bike … Continue reading →